As we enter Pride Month 2021, we’ll begin to see rainbows pop up all across the business world. So whether you want rainbow-themed Legos, a colorful Mickey Mouse hat, or rainbow-packaged mouthwash from Listerine, there are a million ways to show your pride and support for the LGBTQIA community this month. Even LinkedIn is getting in on the rainbow trend with their updated logo (by the way, does anyone know if their graphic designer is open for work?).

Now we at smartdept. inc. love rainbows as much as the next boutique-style creative, digital, and marketing talent resource, but we also understand that pride at work isn’t limited to 30 days out of the year. That’s why we are committed to supporting LGBTQIA employees year-round. And as a WBENC certified women-owned enterprise, we see the value in promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion from the top down. Here’s a few ways we (and you!) can do it:

Diversity
Improve the representation of women and minority groups. Additionally, we address diversity from a broader perspective and look at all types of diversity. We do not just stop at gender and ethnicity. We also focus on cognitively diverse people.

Inclusion
Create an inclusive work environment that fosters creativity and innovation and promotes engagement through awareness. Enable employees to be their true selves. We encourage and celebrate each person’s personal story and how that impacts how they perform their job.

Communications
Ensure that DEI initiatives, actions, and results are clearly communicated consistently. Provide ongoing training on why diversity is important to us.

External Relations
Engage with vendors, support organizations, and groups that support and align with diverse values and interests.

Accountability
Consistently measure and train how our initiatives work with the EEOC and OFCCP while staying in compliance with our goals and objective.

As a proud and out member of the LGBTQIA community, I feel especially grateful for smartdept. inc.’s commitment to supporting diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace. Pride at work was never something I knew I needed until I got it, and it is something every person, regardless of gender or sexuality, should have. Happy Pride 2021!

 

By Haley Stowell, smartdept. inc. Creative Consultant